This invention relates generally to a manually actuated dispensing pump assembly, and more particularly to such an assembly designed for mounting to an eccentric container neck opening of a container liquid to be pumped by the dispenser to effect proper orientation of the assembly in only one position.
Many liquid containers beyond a certain size have an integral handle for ease in handling the container and in pouring out its contents. The handle may be hollow for establishing a vent path extending from an opening within the container neck to a head space above the liquid in the container. This vent allows air to ingress from the pour spout as product is dispensed to prevent the intermittent venting of air through the product itself. The standard non-vented jug creates surging of the dispensed product as air enters through the product to replace the dispensed product volume in the container. This results in splashing of the product that is detrimental to the user especially when pouring a strong caustic liquid such as a laundry bleach.
It has become desirable to mount a liquid pump dispenser to such a vented container for especially commercial applications that require a dosed amount for a volume of water to achieve a regulatory concentration used to disinfect restaurant kitchens, and the like. However, the vent feature in the container opening prevents the pump cylinder, also known as the accumulator body of the pump, from centering in the threaded container opening. Consequently, the pump is forced into an eccentric orientation relative to the threaded opening, such that the pump cannot be properly threaded onto the container to achieve a sealed fit.
The need therefore arises to provide a self-aligning and anti-rotational pump assembly which will permit the assembly to be mounted within the eccentric container neck opening to assure a complete 360 degree contact of the pump flange to the threaded neck finish of the container when mounting the assembly in place.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a manually actuated pump dispenser assembly designed specifically to be mounted within an offset opening within the neck of a liquid container so as to be self-aligned without rotation to assure a full 360 degree contact between the pump body flange which supports the threaded closure, and the outer edge of the container neck to avoid any leakage after the closure is torqued down over the container neck finish.
In accordance with the invention, the flange on the pump cylinder or accumulator which supports the threaded closure is eccentric relative to the pump cylinder and presents a portion of greatest extension from the pump cylinder from which a positioning leg depends for preventing relative rotation of the assembly as the leg extends into the vent opening located within the container neck opening. Means such as a skirt on the portion of the eccentric flange which extends greatest from the pump cylinder, is designed to interfere with the thread mounting of the assembly in positions other than the proper orientation of the assembly relative to the eccentric container neck opening. The skirt is arcuate and is associated with the positioning leg such that if an attempt is made to mount the assembly to the container without anchoring the positioning leg in the vent opening, the arcuate skirt interferes with the container neck and prevents the torquing down of the closure on the neck.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.